Guinea Votes as Junta Leader Seeks Legitimacy, Barring Key Rivals

Voters in Guinea went to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election that could cement the rule of Col. Mamady Doumbouya, the leader of the military junta who seized power in a 2021 coup and has extended a transition repeatedly. Doumbouya introduced a new Constitution that lets him run and has barred several prominent opponents from standing, including two former prime ministers and the president he ousted, Alpha Condé, who are in exile and thus ineligible under a residency rule.

Abdoulaye Yéro Baldé, an economist and former higher education minister in the ousted government, is viewed as the strongest remaining challenger but says the environment is repressive, with journalists afraid to speak, media houses closed, unexplained disappearances and killings.

The junta has overseen major mining developments that have drawn global attention, most notably the long-delayed Simandou iron ore project and expanded bauxite production. Simandou was pushed forward at an estimated cost of more than $11.6 billion, and analysts say the projects could generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Observers warn that whoever wins will face the twin challenges of converting mineral wealth into tangible benefits for a population where more than half live below the poverty line and of managing competing international interests in critical minerals.

Key Topics

Sports, United States, World, Guinea, Elections, Military Junta, Mining